# 119-s-1408: Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act of 2025 119-s-1408, Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD); status introduced (as of 2026-09-10). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1408 - As of: 2026-09-10 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-s-1408 - Congress: 119 - Title: Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act of 2025 - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2025-04-10 - Sponsor: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD) - Cosponsors: 4 - Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources - Touches household money: no - Last recorded action: 2026-09-10 ## Summary **Creates the Chesapeake National Recreation Area** to protect, interpret, and provide public access to the Bay's natural, cultural, historic, and recreational resources. This bill would set a mapped boundary and let the Interior Secretary acquire lands and interests to form a manageable National Park System unit. - Communities and visitors: Would give the public a new park focused on the Chesapeake Bay with a management plan required within 3 years after funds are first made available and possible visitor facilities in Annapolis and near Fort Monroe. - State and local landowners: Allows land acquisition by donation, purchase from willing sellers, exchange, or interagency transfer, but state-owned land may only be accepted by donation and condemnation is prohibited. - Federal sites and local input: Provides a process to transfer remediated Fort Monroe land from the Army to Interior for inclusion, and creates a 19-member advisory commission to advise on management and additions that sunsets 7 years after enactment. ## Cosponsors (4) - Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-04-10T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-04-10T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-04-10T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Justice, James C. [R-WV] (R-WV), 2025-05-08T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Create Chesapeake Bay recreation area: benefit, medium. This bill would create the Chesapeake National Recreation Area in Maryland and Virginia as a unit of the National Park System. It would not take effect until the Interior Secretary determines enough land or interests have been acquired and then publishes a Federal Register notice within 30 days. Th… - Required Chesapeake park management plan: benefit, medium. This bill would require the Secretary to prepare a management plan for the new park within three years after funds are first provided for the plan. The Secretary must consult the Chesapeake Executive Council and the Advisory Commission. The plan must consider visitor facilities in Annapolis and nea… - New 19-member advisory commission: benefit, low. This bill would require the Secretary to create a 19‑member Advisory Commission within 180 days. The commission would include nine appointees from Maryland, nine from Virginia, and the Chesapeake Bay Commission director. Members would serve three‑year terms, receive travel expenses but no salary, a… - Permanent Chesapeake Gateways funding: benefit, low. This bill would amend the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act to authorize 'such sums as are necessary' for the Chesapeake Gateways program. The change would make the program permanently authorized for appropriations but it would not itself provide money. Any funding would still depend on future congress… - Restoration agreements with public access: benefit, low. This bill would let the Secretary enter agreements with states, local governments, nonprofits, or individuals to restore and interpret nationally significant Bay sites. Any agreement would have to provide for reasonable public access to the restored resources. These partnerships would help preserve… - Land rules and Fort Monroe transfer: mixed, medium. This bill would let the Secretary acquire land inside the proposed boundary by donation, purchase from a willing seller, exchange, or transfer from another federal agency. It would forbid condemnation and would allow State or local government land to be accepted only by donation. The Secretary coul… ## Related bills - 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act - 119-s-3940: Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development Act - 119-s-3524: American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2025 - 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 - 119-s-237: Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025 - 119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act ## Sources - [119-s-1408 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1408) ## Related - [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748) - [119-s-3940: Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3940) - [119-s-3524: American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3524) - [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241) - [119-s-237: Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-237) - [119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2763) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1408 (as of 2026-09-10).